I don't know what to do
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
I don't know what to do
i have never posted on a forum before but i figured i might as well because of the way im feeling. I'm pretty sure that i have an addiction to alcohol and im only 18 years old. My problem is that I want to quit drinking but i cant because I cant see how my life would be worth living without it. I can drink more than anybody i know and my friends are always baffled by the certain times throughout the day that i want to drink. basically im asking someone to tell em why it's worth it to stop drinking. I know i should stop because of the problems its causing in my life but i cant seem to drag myself to do so .
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
I could go to AA but don't want to resort to that... I pretty much wanted someone on here to tell me why I should quit drinking.. because at the moment i cant see any reason to even though its effecting my school work.. I drink liquor on most days and feel pretty bad about it but when i start i cant seem to make myself stop with just one drink.. I know i shouldnt be drinking by myself at 18 but i do anyway... I dont want to come off as a whiny bitch looking for attention but i didnt know what else to do then to post on some website
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 859
Yeah stop now , it'll make the rest of your life unhindered by having to need drink. No DUI,
No fear of them , no big rows that blow relationships , a sleep pattern that makes you feel good, cash lots of cash, rent paid , food in the house , banks that want to help , physical and mental well being and that's all before addiction takes control.
Just look at two points you made, Your school works being affected and that's your life, and once you start you can't stop that's it that's problem drinking and as your tolerance goes up the more you will, including eye openers. Save time and effort and try now.
After 30 years of drinking I stopped and life is better than I ever thought possible, the best change was when I looked at some ones cold beer on a hot day and thought not lets get into some of that but a feeling of cheer that I didn't have to I had my life back I was in control I didn't want it . I thought life would be a long series of boredom but quickly it changed in filling my life with so much stuff I had wanted to do .
I had wanted to stop from the age of 19 , but didn't have the help or understand how to get that help. You've found here and that's all it took for me.
I know it sounds like a long time but if you go for it now not drinking will become your life and you won't miss anything.
Stay here and start an amazing thing.
John.
No fear of them , no big rows that blow relationships , a sleep pattern that makes you feel good, cash lots of cash, rent paid , food in the house , banks that want to help , physical and mental well being and that's all before addiction takes control.
Just look at two points you made, Your school works being affected and that's your life, and once you start you can't stop that's it that's problem drinking and as your tolerance goes up the more you will, including eye openers. Save time and effort and try now.
After 30 years of drinking I stopped and life is better than I ever thought possible, the best change was when I looked at some ones cold beer on a hot day and thought not lets get into some of that but a feeling of cheer that I didn't have to I had my life back I was in control I didn't want it . I thought life would be a long series of boredom but quickly it changed in filling my life with so much stuff I had wanted to do .
I had wanted to stop from the age of 19 , but didn't have the help or understand how to get that help. You've found here and that's all it took for me.
I know it sounds like a long time but if you go for it now not drinking will become your life and you won't miss anything.
Stay here and start an amazing thing.
John.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,635
Welcome! You will find a lot of support here.
Reasons you should stop drinking, there are many:
you will be a happier person and enjoy life
you won't get into legal trouble
you won't put your family through hell
it could save your life
I have someone in my family that died of cihhrosis of the liver at age 41. It WILL kill you.
Reasons you should stop drinking, there are many:
you will be a happier person and enjoy life
you won't get into legal trouble
you won't put your family through hell
it could save your life
I have someone in my family that died of cihhrosis of the liver at age 41. It WILL kill you.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: NE Wisconsin USA
Posts: 6,223
thank you for posting
I can't tell why it would be worth it to you without knowing you or the problems you are experiencing...
if there are problems caused by alcohol in your life and you want them to be resolved then it might be worth solving them by not drinking.
Best to you...
I can't tell why it would be worth it to you without knowing you or the problems you are experiencing...
if there are problems caused by alcohol in your life and you want them to be resolved then it might be worth solving them by not drinking.
Best to you...
Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Southern Arizona
Posts: 275
Hi Alex! I'm 24. I'm glad I caught my alcoholism now. But If I had at 18... well the alternative lives I could have had are endless. People my age are graduating from college and starting families. I feel so far behind. And it's because my drinking interrupted my life. Now I'm working on patching up the mistakes I've made. Making amends to the people I hurt. And Spinach mentioned that you'll have lots of cash. :P It's true in more ways than one. I got a student loan, got kicked out of my college, lost jobs... and now my credit's crap and I'm paying that back.
And you know what... the "fun" times I spent drinking are barely in my memory. I can't recall having a good time. I just recall the repercussions when I sobered up.
It just isn't worth it.
You want to know why you shouldn't drink? For YOU! This is cliche, but you are young. This is your chance to start evolving into what you want to be. ...You may not know it now, but you don't want to be a drunk. You don't want to be the one that people say "DAMN THAT GUY CAN DRINK!!!" (that was me) You want to be the person that YOU can be proud of. Whatever form that may be.
Give yourself a chance Alex.
You are worth it.
And you know what... the "fun" times I spent drinking are barely in my memory. I can't recall having a good time. I just recall the repercussions when I sobered up.
It just isn't worth it.
You want to know why you shouldn't drink? For YOU! This is cliche, but you are young. This is your chance to start evolving into what you want to be. ...You may not know it now, but you don't want to be a drunk. You don't want to be the one that people say "DAMN THAT GUY CAN DRINK!!!" (that was me) You want to be the person that YOU can be proud of. Whatever form that may be.
Give yourself a chance Alex.
You are worth it.
Recovered
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,129
At 18, I was "too young to need to go to AA". I was sent to rehab by my parents and thought at the time that they overreacted. Sure. I drank a lot and at times, when my drinking got me in trouble, I would want to quit. BUT, I did not want to "resort" to many things, meetings and steps being one of them.
Fast forward 20 years.....I have been to rehab 4 times. I lost my career. I just wasn't willing or ready to do what it took to be sober. I was in and out for TWENTY years. I wanted to kill myself at 38 because I knew I couldn't quit and stay quit.
That was 3 years ago. By becoming honest about the severity of my "drinking problem" and willing to do something about it, I have not have a drink or drug in a lot of days. More importantly, I'm HAPPY and FREE. Life sux without the drink? Hardly. A lot of my problems and viewpoints were of my own making. Rarely were they reality.
18 and already having problems? It is just the beginning of long hard road....if you survive. Usually we die, go to jail, or go insane.
Just my experience. I hope you pick an easier, softer way than I did.
Fast forward 20 years.....I have been to rehab 4 times. I lost my career. I just wasn't willing or ready to do what it took to be sober. I was in and out for TWENTY years. I wanted to kill myself at 38 because I knew I couldn't quit and stay quit.
That was 3 years ago. By becoming honest about the severity of my "drinking problem" and willing to do something about it, I have not have a drink or drug in a lot of days. More importantly, I'm HAPPY and FREE. Life sux without the drink? Hardly. A lot of my problems and viewpoints were of my own making. Rarely were they reality.
18 and already having problems? It is just the beginning of long hard road....if you survive. Usually we die, go to jail, or go insane.
Just my experience. I hope you pick an easier, softer way than I did.
Marchia in Aeternum
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Georgia
Posts: 11,094
Originally Posted by alex457 
My problem is that I want to quit drinking but i cant because I cant see how my life would be worth living without it.
5 DUIs including jail time
3 wrecked cars
Suspended from college twice then expelled twice in the same day
2 failed marriages among other failed relationships
Blackouts, waking up lost, injured, in jail
Lost jobs
A family ready to forcibly put me in rehab
Seek help until you can quit
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Originally Posted by alex457
I could go to AA but don't want to resort to that...
I tried every other house on the block looking for the easier, softer way and in the end I arrived at the end of the street. AA has kept me sober and sane for almost 24 yrs.
Good luck to you.
Bob R
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
I met my first husband when he was 18. He drank like a crazy person for the next three years--wrecked my car, punched walls and signs (hurting his hands), dropped out of school when his mom cut off the money. He got sober when he was 21, and has stayed that way for 33 years. He was an alcoholic already, when I met him. He was probably an alcoholic from his first drink. We are still good friends and he often talks about how grateful he is that he quit when he did.
So you may not have had any horrible, life-changing consequences YET. But if you are an alcoholic (and from your description of your drinking it sounds like you are), those consequences are just waiting out there for you. People do stupid stuff and get arrested, they kill others driving drunk, they embarrass their friends, worry their families, ruin their health.
So yeah, there are a LOT of good reasons to quit drinking. My personal suggestion is that you walk into a few AA meetings and just listen. There are a lot of young people in our meetings here. Just listen to what people say about how they FELT about drinking and see if you can't relate to it. In my experience (I've been sober four and a half years), even when I listen to someone who went to prison for doing something while drinking, and my story is very different, I can relate to how they FELT about alcohol--what it did for them.
So you may not have had any horrible, life-changing consequences YET. But if you are an alcoholic (and from your description of your drinking it sounds like you are), those consequences are just waiting out there for you. People do stupid stuff and get arrested, they kill others driving drunk, they embarrass their friends, worry their families, ruin their health.
So yeah, there are a LOT of good reasons to quit drinking. My personal suggestion is that you walk into a few AA meetings and just listen. There are a lot of young people in our meetings here. Just listen to what people say about how they FELT about drinking and see if you can't relate to it. In my experience (I've been sober four and a half years), even when I listen to someone who went to prison for doing something while drinking, and my story is very different, I can relate to how they FELT about alcohol--what it did for them.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,445
Honestly, YOU need to come up with reasons to continue to live without drinking. No one can give you a reason that your life is worth living. That is something you need to figure out for yourself. And, stopping drinking is just the beginning. Once you find out what your purpose is, you will be able to make changes in your life to continue recovering.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
I just came home from school with the thought in the back of my head that i was probably somehow going to justify pouring myself a drink and then i remembered i posted this last night and decided to check it. I truly thank all of you for replying to this and believe it or not it really makes me want to not drink. One might not think that reading something online from people who i have never met would help, but in my case I actually feel enlightened from all of your posts. Thank you all so much.
The people here on SR are amazing.
Grateful Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: MI
Posts: 1,080
There are many wonderful things about this site, but the best is that theres always someone on, whether just reading posts, or on chat. So you can always find someone to "talk you down from the ledge" so to speak.
As for why you should stop drinking, well, honestly if you didn't think you had a problem, you wouldnt be here. And if you think you might have a problem, you probably do.
As for why you should stop drinking, well, honestly if you didn't think you had a problem, you wouldnt be here. And if you think you might have a problem, you probably do.
2Cor5:17
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Between Doctor's opinion & pg 164
Posts: 4,187
Hate to break it to Alex but you answered your own question: Would want to quit coz of the problems it's causing in your life. I recommend aa; there's alateen too. Don't be fooled by peers or others that life's boring & done w/ in sobriety. It's fun, exciting to find yourself out, make genuine friendships & waking up sober w/o headaches(plus remembering whom you went to bed w/ if anyone i.e)
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